A lab at the Jiangsu Prefabricated Food Quality Inspection Center. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

The Jiangsu Prefabricated Food Quality Inspection Center, built by Rugao's comprehensive inspection and testing center, has passed its acceptance inspection.

In recent years, the prefabricated food industry has been seeing rapid growth, attracting more consumers with its convenience and variety. However, ensuring the health, safety, and quality of these foods largely depends on strengthening inspection processes.

Chen Donglan, head of the inspection lab, explained that the center is divided into four major groups responsible for detecting pesticide residues, additives, antibiotics, preservatives, heavy metals, and harmful bacteria.

Li Yadong, deputy director of Rugao's comprehensive inspection and testing center, emphasized that the center has developed specialized laboratories for testing nutritional ingredients and animal-derived substances, investing in advanced equipment like automatic dietary fiber analyzers and fat-soluble vitamin extractors. The center can now test for 16 amino acids and 12 vitamins, positioning its capabilities among the highest of Jiangsu's county-level cities.

Nantong is currently home to more than 1,100 food processing enterprises, including over 700 involved in prefabricated foods. To date, Rugao's comprehensive inspection and testing center has provided full-chain services to 218 local companies, contributing to the regulated development of the prefabricated food industry.